How Did I Get Here?
by samdragon57
Summary: Another self insert story into the Ninjago movie. Saw some others making some and it looked fun. Mostly basing this around how I really think I'd react being thrown into an unknown area. Maybe I'll have a better summary later idk, this is just for fun. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Been seeing a couple self insert stories lately and to be completely honest, they look like so much fun. So I decided to try my hand at one. I'm more or less using this as a stress reliever for school and life events outside of my control. This will not have a regular update schedule as I have no idea where I'm going with this story or how far it'll go. Basically, I'm just flying by the seat of my pants for this adventure.**

**No, this does NOT mean that I'm dropping my Fae Ninjago series. I'm just currently hyper-focused on this and I don't know how to switch them gears in my brain. Last part of Zane's story will hopefully be out by next week. I can't make any promises at this point though.**

**Rated T for language as I'm too lazy to censor myself and teenagers in high school should talk like teenagers in high school.**

* * *

It was cold outside.

To be fair, it probably wasn't cold enough for two coats, yet here I was wearing both a hoodie and a winter jacket over it. It was the first weekend of the winter term back at school and I had decided to go on an impromptu walk. The small, college town was all spread out along a singular road. Which meant if I wanted to go anywhere in particular, I just had to pick one side of the road and just keep walking. Granted, it would be easier to just take the bus, but it felt good to go out and stretch my legs a bit. The first destination in mind was the the little costume shop in the downtown area. Afterwards, maybe I'd spend some time in the bookshop nearby. Or continue my walk into the park next door.

I entered the costume shop and turned down the volume of my headphones while taking out the right earbud. Didn't want to accidentally miss an employee trying to catch my attention. With my hands holding onto the straps on my small bag on my back, I wandered about. The colorful array of wigs high on the top shelves took my attention. A couple cosplay ideas passed through my mind, even though I knew I couldn't afford a single wig here. Might as well just stick to blonde characters so I could use my own hair.

I wasted about an hour just walking around and looking at all the cool costumes on display. I may never be able to afford anything like these, but they helped with cosplay ideas. Even if I had no free time to work on a new cosplay in the first place. One could always dream.

Satisfied with my use of time, I went to the front counter and bought a new pin for myself. I would've felt bad leaving the place without buying anything at all. I thanked the employee at the register and headed for the door, popping my other earbud back in place.

And that's when it happened.

As I stood at the front door, my music suddenly cut off into static. I frowned in annoyance and pulled out my phone to assess the issue. As I did, I opened the door to leave by leaning my back against it. I stepped out of the store backwards and stepped to the side in order not to block the entrance, all while looking at my phone's screen. For some reason, my music app was completely on the fritz. The full screen was awash in black and white pixels dancing about. I gave out a frustrated groan and closed the app. Hopefully it was the app itself and not the phone. As a broke college student, I really didn't have the budget for a new one.

Without my music to listen too, I didn't really want to walk around town anymore. What was the point if I couldn't listen to some good tunes? So I wrapped up my headphones and put them in my coat pocket with my phone, ready to head back to campus. I looked up to check the road for cars before I crossed to the other side.

But the other side wasn't there anymore.

Where I was expecting a wall of buildings and local shops was instead a wooden pier on a beach. A beach? I was nowhere near the beach!? Was this some kind of prank? Was there a pair of guys holding a painting of a beach in front of me? I closed my eyes and rubbed at them with my fingers. Upon opening them again, I noticed the beach was still there. What the hell was going on here?

I looked around to try and take note of where I was. The shop I stood in front of was no longer a costume shop. Rather, it was one of those tourist shops that sold all those beach themed junk and kites and stuff. And more than that, the whole street was lined with similar shops and seafood restaurants. I took in the smell of the salty ocean and the stink of fish. I listened to the crash of the waves on the shore, the cry of seagulls, and the cheers of some folks playing on the beach. It was much warmer here too, enough that I took off my winter coat and held it in my arm. I couldn't remember ever having a dream this vivid, and pinched myself anyways. Nope, definitely real.

So where the hell was I and how did I end up here?

_This isn't right this isn't right this isn't right!_

Hoo boy, I did _not_ want to go into a panic attack in a strange place I didn't recognize. I took in a deep breath to try and calm myself. Maybe sitting down would be a good idea? Yeah, sitting was a good option.

I crossed the street over to a wooden bench on the pier and sat down with a heavy sigh. First things first; I had to call my parents. Let them at least know I was somewhere different. Heck, they'd probably have some ideas on what I should do anyways. I pulled out my phone again and flipped through my contacts. I tried calling my Mom first. Even if she was working, she was always pretty eager to pick up when I or one of my sisters called her. But instead of the sound of ringing, I was met by a shrill tone and a robotic voice saying "I'm sorry, but the number you have tried to call is unavailable,". Well that couldn't be right. I tried calling my Dad next and got the same result. And again the same thing when calling all my sisters. What was going on here?

I could feel the panic taking over again. The sun was setting over the water and although it was a beautiful sight, it meant I needed to find a place to sleep tonight. I checked my wallet really quick. I did have some cash, but was it enough for a night in a motel? Would it be enough for a couple nights if I was stuck here longer? What about food or transportation? Shit, what was I supposed to do?

Okay okay okay, first thing I could do right now is at least figure out where I even was. I twisted about in my seat and looked over the back of the bench. Usually there was some kind of plaque on benches stating who donated money for it or something. While I didn't see a city or country name on it, it did have a dedication to someone named Wu. No first name, or last if Wu was meant as a first name. I felt a strange, familiarity with the name itself, but otherwise it gave me no clues. I was back to square one.

If nothing here gave me any clues, the next step would be to look around a bit more. Yet this option left me frightened. So far, the pier was the only place I could use to orientate myself. If I traveled farther into the city beyond the tourist shops, I would most certainly get lost. And that was the scariest position of all in this whole endeavor. But did I have any other choice?

Weighing my options had my leg bouncing with anxious energy. My nails followed along soon after, tapping on the wooden slats of the bench. I could always try calling the police? This new thought gave me a little hope. Finding an authority figure could probably really help me out. I reached for my phone again when suddenly, I noticed something.

I didn't hear the seagulls anymore. While the sun was setting, there was still plenty of daylight out. The birds should still be scavenging on the beach and shrieking at beach goers. I looked out at the beach again to see that all the seagulls had indeed fled the scene. There were less people as well. And the strangest thing of all, the remaining people were running as fast as they could to get away from the water. What, did someone yell shark and everyone decided to panic?

I squinted at the water and shielded my eyes from the sun with my hand. There did seem to be something headed to shore from the ocean. My first guess was a boat of some kind, although the shape was all wrong. Too tall and thin. And the closer it got, the more it seemed to grow out from the waves. Whatever this was, it was slowly emerging from underwater.

Involuntarily, I could feel my fight or flight instincts kicking in. Of course, while the beach people finally got to the pier and ran around me, my legs decided to go with the third option; freeze. My brain was shouting at me to move but my body would not respond. For all intents and purposes, I was stuck watching this thing rise up from the ocean. Which gave me a perfect view to something I never thought I'd see.

Now fully on shore, water streaming off of it, was a gigantic mechanical contraption that greatly resembled a shark with legs. What I had previously mistaken for a boat was actually the fin on top of its back. The mech also sported a pair of arms that seemed far to big for the shark shaped gadget. The sheer ridiculousness of the situation finally gave me full control of my legs. But instead of running, I laughed. There was no way this could be real. A robot shark with legs? I started laughing a little harder and some of the people running past gave me strange looks. Maybe this thing really was dangerous and my panicked mind had just decided to react against the norm. Either way, I just couldn't find it in myself to feel threatened.

Then, from what sounded like a loudspeaker of some kind, came a booming voice asking one question; "WHAT'S MY NAME!?" I heard a chorus of people yelling the same name over and over in fright as a response.

Oh.

Oh _damn_.

That's Garmadon. Like, Ninjago villain Garmadon. And the name on the bench finally clicked with me as well. Master Wu.

I was in Ninjago City.

I uttered the first thing that popped into my head, a popular phrase said often within my immediate family.

_"What the shit?"_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Y'all I don't know how the hell I managed it, but this chapter is over 2,000 words while the previous was over 1,000. _This chapter is twice as long? Hoowww?_**

**Anyways here's part 2. I still don't have The Automatoon finished either but its been a rough week one back on campus so can you blame me? I'm also sick while tyoing this AN and I'm too damn lazy to fix my spelling mistakes.**

**To Crimson and AlchemyWriter; Thanks so much for the reviews! I honestly wasn't expecting any for this story so y'all made my week brighter. Hope you enjoy part two!**

**P.S. I tried to keep stuff like my exact age and last name vauge for privacy reasons. My first name is easy to guess so I don't care about that. Also, the little anecdotes I mention in this chapter are all true stories hah. I also have no idea how foster care works so don't me.**

* * *

So I was in Ninjago City.

Which shouldn't even be possible, yet here I was. And based on the shark mech being controlled by Garmadon, this was the movie rather than the show. Which meant the ninja would show up any time now...

The roar of a jet heralded the arrival of one Jay Walker, flying directly overhead. I stood my ground and watched as some of the others showed up as well. I was practically giddy with excitement now. This was gonna be interesting to see.

The blue jet circled about the mech's head as a distraction. The shark's arms reached up and tried to smack the jet down but failed in reaching it. Then it resorted to firing sharks out of a gun on its back instead. _Alrighty then._

After the sharks started flying, both the ice and water mechs rammed into the shark mech's legs. Garmadon buckled backwards a little, but quickly regained his footing. I could make out a few insults being yelled out the speaker at the attacking ninja. Then Nya fired a grappling hook from her mech and practically danced around the larger and much slower shark. The cable wrapped around it's legs and with another shove from Zane's tank, fell right over back into the water.

Those still watching from the pier gave out a hearty cheer. I joined in as well. While the fight had been pretty short, it was entertaining. And it had made me forget about all my anxiety over being in a strange place. Well, somewhat strange place. I still didn't know where to go or how to get help, but at least I finally knew where I was.

And with knowing my location now, a new question cropped up in my mind. How /the hell/ did I get here, and how was I supposed to get back home? I could accept this as being some kind of alternate reality or some dimensional traveling shenanigans. But still, how did I make it to the world of the Ninjago movie specifically?

I had to put those thoughts aside when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see a female police officer looking down at me, a name tag calling her Jennings. "Are you alright sweetie?" She asked. "Are you lost?"

I glanced around and saw a few other officers going about and checking in on the citizens. People must get lost a lot during Garmadon attacks since this seemed so normal to them. And hey, her assumption wasn't exactly wrong.

"Yeah, I am kinda lost." I spoke slowly so as not to stutter. God, talking to strangers was hard. "I don't really know where I am, well partially, and I don't know how I got here. Or how to get home or where home is or-" I started talking faster and faster in a panic. Jennings raised a hand, signalling for me to stop talking.

"How 'bout we walk down to the station and we can call your parents there." She smiled. "Unless you have a phone to call them?"

"Uuuhhhhh," my brain stalled with coming up with an answer. No one should ever give me a choice and expect an immediate answer. Plus, was it just me or was this officer treating me like a child? Granted, I've always had a young looking face. Heck, just after my 21st birthday, my parents took me to a casino only for the front desk lady to announce I looked twelve. Sure, I could probably pass for 17 or 18, but _12?_ Although, the immediate look of regret on that woman's face /had/ been absolutely priceless.

I blinked to snap myself out of the memory. Focus! Can't just randomly daydream now. Jennings was still looking at me expectantly.

"I uh, already tried using my phone." I finally answered. "I think its broken though." I wasn't really sure how to explain that my phone service happened to be in another dimension at the moment.

She nodded and motioned for me to follow her. "Guess we'll go to the station then. With luck, your parents could already be waiting for you there." I followed her all the way to where the pier exited out into the city streets. There was a large number of cop cars and bikes lined up by the sidewalk there. Jennings went over to one car and opened the back door for me. I took off my school bag before jumping in and placed it and my coat in the seat next to me. The officer then closed the door and got in the driver's seat. She pulled out her radio mic and mentioned bringing in a minor to the station, before starting the car.

"Wait, a minor?" I said out loud. Jennings didn't seem to hear my question as she didn't make any response.

Okay, this had gone too far. I was _not_ a minor and wasn't about to let a police officer treat me as such. "Excuse me ma'am," I leaned forward so she could better hear me. She gave a nod. "Yes?"

"Don't know how to break it to ya, but I'm in my 20's." Wow, that still felt weird to say out loud.

The car soon stopped at a red light, giving Jennings a chance to turn around in her seat and give me The Look(tm). You know, that look with the single raised eyebrow that tells you this person doesn't believe a single word you just said. I frowned right back at her. "I have a young face." Was my response.

"Sure, kiddo." She chuckled then turned back around. The light changed green and we were off again.

What made her think I was lying? Last time I noticed, I hadn't shrunk or anything. _I don't actually look 12, do I?_

This was gonna give me paranoia if I couldn't figure out what was going on here. I covertly took my phone out of my hoodie pocket and turned on the camera. I set it to selfie mode and looked at myself in a digital mirror.

_Oh my God I do look 12._

Well, not twelve exactly. More like how I looked as a young teen which, paired with my young face, definitely made me look like a child. I tried to guess what age I actually was at that moment. I was about at my adult height, which meant I had at least hit close to the point where I was fully grown. I also noticed the near constant ache in my shoulder was gone. Ever since that marching band accident my sophomore year, I had been plauged by constant shoulder issues. On good days, it was nothing more than an easy-to-ignore, dull ache. On bad days, it felt like a hot iron poker being jammed straight into my nervous system. Oh what sweet bliss this was to live an existence without constant pain.

Hmmm, so this should put me somewhere in my early teens at least. And whatever age I was before that shoulder injury. How old are freshmen again? 15? 16? Somewhere around there at least. And if I was somehow 15 again, then I really was a minor to some extent.

Huh, that really put a twist on all my options. As an adult, I'd be more or less left to my own devices. Maybe have to find a job, rent a place, suffer through taxes, etc cetera. But as a teenager under the age of 18, I would be expected to be put under the care of an adult. And probably forced back into school again. I had never had any experience with a foster care system before, and I was honestly scared to try it out. Yet again, what choice did I have at this point? Once the police figured out I had no family around, going into foster care would be the next logical step.

I settled back into my seat for the ride and gazed out the window. Some small shops looked trashed, their front windows shattered and some doors ripped apart. Trash also littered the streets, dumped out from the garbage bins that had been left on the curb. I heard a booming roar from above and craned my neck in order to look up from the window. A flash of green and gold flew overhead. So that's where the other ninja had been. I almost forgot Garmadon had an army of guys in fish costumes. They must've been causing trouble on the city streets while Garmadon terrorized the beach.

A few minutes later and the car pulled into the police station's parking lot. The officer opened the door to let me out and I followed her, coat and bag clutched tight to my chest.

The interior of the front office was more than a little chaotic. I could hear the ringing of multiple phones in the background, probably people calling in damages from the attack. There was a lounge area with a couple couches and a small glass table. All the seats were filled by civilians, along with several more standing around. And the front desk itself was crowded with folks. I felt bad for the cops having to deal with so many people at once. And considering this was the Ninjago movie world, this must happen a lot from Garmadon's constant attacks to the city.

The officer gently grabbed my shoulder and pushed me towards a back door. I walked that way obediently and sighed when the door closed behind us. All that noise from the complaining and panicking going on was muted significantly. I wasn't sure how much longer I could've stood there without going insane.

She took me to a side room where many folks in uniform sat and typed at desks. I was sat down in a seat in front of a man with dark, misheveled hair and glasses. He had a plaque on his desk that read as 'Jerrie Franks'.

"Hey Jerrie," the officer greeted the desk guy. He only nodded with a grunt in reply. She then leaned down by me to speak. "Jerrie here has access to info on most every person in Ninjago City. Just tell him your name and he should be able to find your family. Okay?"

I nodded to show I understood.

"Alright. I'm gonna leave you here for just a little bit while I go help up front. You'll watch over her?" Her last sentence was directed at Jerrie, who just nodded again. I shrugged to tell her I was good for now too. Satisfied with our responses, the officer finally left.

I turned to focus on Jerrie after watching the officer leave. He just sat there, like he was waiting for something. Then he spoke; "Name?"

"Oh," I startled. It honestly surprised me that he could talk after all that nonverbal communication. "Samantha, but I also go by Sam."

Jerrie typed away on his keyboard then stopped. "Last name?" I told him my last name and he typed away again. He hummed after looking over some data, then turned to me. "I found one match with your last name, but they have no daughter named Samantha."

That was a little surprising to say the least. As far as I knew, my family name wasn't a very common one. But it wouldn't be too far a stretch to think there was an alternate version of my family somewhere around here too. "Uh, that's okay. I don't think my family would be around here anywa-,"

"It says here that they have room for one other person, in the case of foster care." He interrupted me.

"Uh, what?"

"Who knows, maybe you are related. Like distant cousins or something." Jerrie waved his hand at that remark, not even looking at me. I was starting to feel like this guy wasn't very serious about his job...

I shrugged, unsure how to proceed. Hey if it was an open room, I would gladly take it. "Okay then."

Jerrie just nodded and picked up a phone. I could hear the dial tone ring a bit until a voice on the other end picked up.

"Hello?" The voice was feminine, and carried an accent I wasn't familiar with.

"Is this Mrs. Walker?" Jerrie rolled his chair back from the desk, where I couldn't quite hear the other person anymore. "I'm calling about a foster situation. Think you or your husband can come by the station soon? ...Yeah, a teen or something. I'd guess about the same age as your son...Yeah...Yup..." The conversation continued on with Jerrie looking as disinterested as possible.

It finally occured to me that Walker wasn't my last name. Honestly, they sounded very similar, but my name was spelled differently. I tried tapping on the desk to get Jerrie's attention. "Uh, excuse me? My name isn't Walker. It's spelled W-A-C-,"

"So we can expect you in an hour? Okay, see you then." He hung up the phone, not even glancing my way. I guess that was that then. There was nothing more to do than wait.

I could feel myself holding in a scream of frustration.


End file.
